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No Conditions, No Concerns. A Friend's a Friend
Sitting in my office one morning, one of my co-workers, and a very supportive guy, Ted, asked if he could talk with me a moment. I said, "Of course." He described a conversation he had with someone about gender issues one evening over the past weekend with the guys at a local lounge and pool hall in Northern Virginia.
One guy opened the conversation while they started to rack the balls for another round of poll and he mentioned that he'd recently seen a talk show about men dressing as women and some of them were referred to as transsexuals. He said he'd heard of crossdressers, but what's this about transsexuals? Ted asked him what he thought about these people, and his friend said "They're weird, but they seem harmless. A couple of them looked like girls, but I could tell the difference." Ted wondered about that a moment and asked, "What's the difference you see? "Well from what I can tell, they're bigger, and seem to walk funny," he said.
Ted asked him if he'd ever met a transsexual. The guy's name was Lonnie. "No, never had, but I'd know if I had," Lonnie said in a voice strong with conviction and experience. Lonnie broke the rack and the game continued. A few minutes later Lonnie asked Ted if he'd ever met one. Ted looked at him straight in the eye and told him, "Yes I have, everyday in the office." Ted told me that Lonnie went silent, and then said Ted was just joking, and besides how would he know?
Ted told him that she'd spoken to everyone at work about her change, and that she'd be staying there, and, to Lonnie's surprise, said that she's an attractive woman, sincere, and a friend. Lonnie wasn't so sure, but he'd known Ted long enough to know when his friend was being serious, and this was one of those times. Lonnie asked him if she used the same bathroom, and then realised his limited understanding, and said "I guess he goes to the woman's room now", with a chuckle that's reserved for men in the know... Ted's reply again surprised Lonnie when he said that "No, she uses the Ladies Room where she's suppose to go, and it seems that absolutely no one in the office, and at NASA gives it a thought at this point." She's been fully accepted as Anne by men and women alike. She's the same person inside, but from what I can tell much more relaxed, and easy going with people in general. It's been a major change for her. Like others in the office that we work in, I stand behind her. She's just another woman in the office, though I think some of the other women here wish that they had half her wardrobe!" Ted told Lonnie all this and further said that everyone is unique and special. We just happen to know someone a little bit more special. But from what Anne has told me about herself and other woman like her, she doesn't consider herself any better than the next woman, only prettier, and more sure of herself than some.
As Ted was relating all this to me, and I had to giggle over some of the scenes that he described, I felt really honored, and special to know that even when some of these guys are away from the office, they still respect, and stand behind me as a person. Ted told me, "That's because of the way you are Anne."
I couldn't help myself; I gave Ted a gentle little kiss on the cheek, and Wow did he turn red. I asked him doesn't your girlfriend ever kiss you on the cheek? ( Ted is tall, boyishly handsome with green eyes, long dark brown hair, and funny ) "I don't have a girlfriend at present?" "Oh, well. She's out there Ted," I said with a wink and a smile.
We both laughed a little too loud, and a few heads turned in our Cube City, but everyone figure it was just Ted telling me one of his ridiculous political jokes.
Some days are never quite the same.
Hugs, and Teddy Bears Anne
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